The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating sludge deposits in which a sludge deposit layer in a broad region can be continuously and promptly treated.
With rapid progress of industries, sludge deposits have been accumulated in bottoms of harbors, rivers, lakes and the like, causing serious environmental pollutions. However, quantities of such sludge deposits have recently been increasing. Accordingly, development of an effective method or apparatus for treating these sludge deposits is eagerly desired in the art.
When sludge deposit is treated in situ according to the conventional method, there is ordinarily adopted a treating apparatus comprising kneading means including an agitation shaft having agitation blades attached to the lower portion thereof and being connected to a shaft of a driving member and chemical feeding means for extruding a chemical to a kneading zone of the kneading means. This treating apparatus is hung from a base ship on the sludge deposit to be treated or is hung by a moving type crane located on the ground in the vicinity of the sludge deposit layer, and the sludge deposit is agitated by the kneading zone while vertically moving the treating apparatus and is mixed with a coagulative chemical to treat a unit volume of the sludge deposit. When the treatment of this unit volume is completed, the treating apparatus is laterally moved and the above operation is similarly conducted. Thus, the sludge deposit layer is gradually treated by repeating the foregoing procedures.
As will be apparent from the foregoing illustration, a long time is required for treating the sludge deposit layer in a broad region according to the above conventional method. Further, according to this conventional method, it is difficult to harden the sludge deposit layer uniformly, and the treated layer often includes a portion inferior in the hardness and hence, utilization of the treated layer involves problems. Still further, when the treating apparatus is hung from a base ship, if the surface of the sludge deposit is not horizontal, it is difficult to treat the sludge deposit layer completely without leaving an untreated portion and the treatment is often incomplete. If the treatment is conducted so that no untreated portion is left, the treated portion is excessively lapped and treated, resulting in reduction of the treatment efficiency and failure to attain a uniform treatment effect.